I’m Nervous About Having a Bone Graft: What Can I Expect?

A dental bone graft is a common procedure used for numerous reasons. Maybe you’ve struggled with periodontitis and have suffered a significant amount of bone loss. You might need extra jaw support to place dental implants or require a tooth extraction and need to prevent your socket from caving in.

Whatever the reason may be, Nodesh Shyamsunder, BDS, Jasleen Raina, DDS, and the rest of our team at Beaches Dentistry located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, want you to know what to expect from this dental procedure so you can rest easy knowing you’re in expert hands.

Understanding dental bone grafts

Dental bone grafts can add volume and density to your jaw anywhere that bone loss may have occurred. There are several types of bone grafts, and the method used for your procedure depends on why you need a bone graft. 

However, the basics of a dental bone graft are pretty much the same. Your provider makes an incision in your jaw and grafts — or attaches — new bone to the jaw. 

A typical bone graft uses bone from somewhere else in your body, such as your hip bone, tibia, or the back of your jaw, known as an autograft. However, other sources used to acquire bone include an animal tissue bank (xenograft), human tissue bank (allograft), or synthetic materials (alloplast). 

Types of dental bone grafts

There are varying methods used for performing dental bone grafts, including the following:

• Socket preservation: A bone graft takes place at the same time as a tooth extraction to keep bone loss from occurring after the tooth is removed.

• Ridge augmentation: When you’ve had missing teeth for a while, your jawbone can become thin. Ridge augmentation adds volume to your jaw to provide a stable foundation for restorative dentistry.

• Sinus lift: Your sinuses can start to drop if you don't have upper molars. A sinus lift can move sinuses back to their proper position and make way for dental implants.
• Periodontal bone graft: Gum disease can erode the bone surrounding your teeth, making them loose. This type of bone graft provides needed stability for any loose teeth.

Your provider can review which bone graft works best for you according to your oral health needs.

What to expect from the dental bone graft procedure

Before the bone graft occurs, our team provides you with a local anesthetic to numb the incision site. We can also provide you with a sedative to keep you comfortable for the entirety of the procedure.

Your provider then makes an incision in your gums so the gum tissue can get pulled back to make your jawbone visible. After everything is properly cleaned and disinfected, the new bone material gets placed wherever the bone loss has occurred, and in some cases, a membrane gets placed for added protection. The incision site is then closed with stitches.

You may experience some pain, bruising, and swelling after the procedure. During the 24 hours following your bone graft, change your dressing and take any antibiotics and pain relievers as instructed. For the next few days, you should  avoid drinking hot liquids, eating hard or crunchy foods, and doing physical activity. 

After a few weeks, you should be pain-free, although it may take a few months to completely heal and be ready for any next steps, such as dentures or implants.

Next steps

If you’re still feeling nervous about your dental bone graft procedure, don’t hesitate to contact our team to ask any questions you may have. You can do this by giving us a call, or scheduling an appointment through our online booking tool today.